


Captain, my Captain

by 0ya_script4



Series: Voltron: Legendary Writing Prompts [7]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Asexual Pidge | Katie Holt, F/F, F/M, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Human Shay (Voltron), Insecure Lance (Voltron), Japanese Keith (Voltron), Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Lance is Pidge's Kid, Latino Lance (Voltron), M/M, Minor Allura/Shiro (Voltron), Minor Hunk/Shay (Voltron), Mom Pidge, Orphan Keith (Voltron), Protective Lance (Voltron), Socially Awkward Keith (Voltron), child lance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-06
Updated: 2017-07-23
Packaged: 2018-10-30 13:30:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10877778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/0ya_script4/pseuds/0ya_script4
Summary: Pidge did not expect to find herself a mother of a child, let alone a mother at 16....-------------------ON HOLD





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've never seen single mom Pidge, so I decided to create on for myself. I hope the rest of you enjoy it!

Pidge did not expect to find herself a mother of a child, let alone a mother at 16. She did not expect the father to die in a car accident on his student driving test day. She did not expect for her parents to totally ignore her issues, they loved and adored her until she told them about her....predicament. It wasn't even planned. She tried to tell them that. Everyone called her a fake, called her names which shall not be said... Pidge never thought she'd even go through the act of having a child. Pidge confided in her best friends, the only family that seemed to still welcome her, they knew _that_ night she was anything but stable. They knew that she sought comfort in her boyfriend, but none of them expected her to go any farther than cuddling. Hunk was the first to ask if it was even consensual, Pidge told them all a thousand times that it was. Shiro asked what she was planning on doing, and the only thing logical to her was to have the child and raise it on her own (with the help of Shiro and Hunk, of course). She was the youngest of the trio. Shiro turning 25 and Hunk about 20, she met them both through her brother, Matthew, and she never saw herself getting rid of them as friends after this. 

During her pregnancy, she got a full-time job as a Technical support agent for electronics. She'd already been so good at hacking and being able to help people with their phones and computers that she decided it would be a good idea to do so as a job AND she could do it from the comfort of her home!!

Pidge was texted almost every day by Hunk and Shiro. Asking if she was taking care of herself or telling her that they were coming down for lunch to make sure she ate. Shiro had been looking into some daycares and his latest girlfriend was actually in charge of a daycare. Shiro gave Pidge her number and Pidge got to know Allura quite well, making sure that everything would be okay for her child to grow up in. Pidge didn't see why a daycare would be necessary if she were at home, but with how exhausted she had become with just carrying this child she realized that for a few years he'd need be taught by someone older than her. She talked to Hunk about the fact that her kid would only be going to daycare for the experience of other children, she'd leave them there for story time and play time, enough to give her four hours to go to town and get groceries or have to herself. 

 

Pidge visited the daycare when she reached eight months and was on pregnancy leave. She walked in and felt right at home, Allura was teaching some kids to share and a really energetic orange haired 30-something-year-old was a human jungle gym with the book he was probably reading at his feet.  He laughed as he tried to speak to the children about respecting their elders but his giggling didn't make any of the children take him seriously. She talked with Allura for a little to make sure that the environment would be good for her child. Hunk had told Pidge that he would trust any child with Allura, she may not be the best with babies, but kids after the crib she's excellent (it's Coran who would be with the baby). 

"Coran, can you come over here?" Allura called 

"Alright kiddos, you want to find Mr. Coran a Weblum?!" Coran gasped as he squatted and whispered in horror,

"What's that??" One of the kids asked with stars in their eyes

"It's this HUGE creature, bigger than you and me! that likes to go around and gobble up little kids lunches! We have to find it before Lunch time comes!" 

"OH NOOOOO!" All the kids giggled as they ran around and began to search and search for an animal that was probably made up on the spot. 

Coran then made his way toward Pidge, "Ah, you must be Ms. Gunderson, Hunk and Shiro were telling us that you might drop by to give this place a look."

"Yeah... I just want to make sure that my kid will be safe," Pidge placed her hand on her stomach

"Of course!" Coran clapped his hands together and then twirled his mustache as he continued "I am the nursery director of this fine establishment, Allura's father Alfor was the original founder. Allura did come up with the name when she was little and 'Litlle Lion's Daycare' was just the cutest thing! I take care of the babies until they talk and walk around, then Allura tells them stories and we occasionally get a guest reader. Here follow me," Coran motioned to show Pidge around the whole building. It was a smaller building, it felt more like a house layout than anything. The halls were big for at least her, Hunk, and Shiro to hold hands and sing 'Kumbaya' in and separate rooms branched off the large hallway for activities: playing, painting, napping, reading, eating, and some that Pidge didn't even know what they were for and Coran's descriptions were so aged that it didn't really help. Coran showed her the Kitchen, where the kiddos eat and showed her that they (Coran and Allura) make the lunches for the kiddos. "We realized that not every parent remembers, or has time, to make their kids lunch so we provide lunch and snacks to all the children, accomidating to allergies and 'phobias'. So you don't have to worry about packing your little one anything."

"You've got everything down. I'm so impressed!" Pidge giggled as she felt her child wiggle in her stomach

"Don't mind me asking, but how far along are you?" 

"About eight months,"

"And the father?" 

"Died in a car crash," 

"Oh, my stars! I am so sorry to hear that!" 

"Yeah, I'm not worried about me though, I'm more worried for them. It's sad to say that he or she won't grow up with a father, but Hunk and Shiro have promised to be there for them when they need a father figure." 

"Those two care about you a lot, don't they." 

"An absurd amount." Pidge laughed, "Thank you for showing me around, I've got to get back to Hunk's house I'm almost late for lunch with them." 

"Alright, be careful!" 

 

Pidge made her way two doors down from the daycare to Hunk's home. [A two-story yellow home](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/5b/9a/d5/5b9ad5ae4b2d9a2f401881cd59fcc59b.jpg) that looked like a family of four lived in. Shiro lived with Hunk, them being best friends since birth and deciding that the mortgage to the house would be less expensive. Hunk has told Pidge several times that she could live with them, right under the same roof.

"I mean, you are over here enough to just move your stuff upstairs" Pidge simply refused because she has a decent apartment of her own right now, [with a desk for work](http://www.quertime.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/coolest_computer_workstation_setups_02.jpg), a baby room that Hunk at least insisted he[ painted](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/b4/0d/be/b40dbe0afb94c5d3ed0f2bf2c77f844f.jpg), and a [family room ](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/00/91/02/009102dfeefbc502a815d0d5db3d3b43.jpg)with her LARGE collection stored for "raising the child right" ).

 

"Pidge you made it!" Hunk opened the door to Pidge and let her in

"It's not that far, and plus Coran watched me walk here the whole way. Nothing could've happened." 

"Thanks!" Hunk popped his head out the door and shouted to Coran who headed back inside.

"How was the daycare?" Shiro called from inside the kitchen

Pidge raised a brow at seeing Shiro in the kitchen with an apron, short-shorts and a loose tank top on (as is his normal attire on his day off), "I feel like I should've said 'Honey, I'm home',"

"I would not object to that," Shiro winked with a slight chuckle

"Ummm.....anyway, the daycare was nice," Pidge jumped as fast as she could to the next topic as she sat at the Burgundy table "Coran and Allura are really nice and I feel like he or she will be really comfy there." 

"Speaking of he or she," Shiro said stretching to grab some plates and asking Hunk if it was okay to add salt to the gumbo, "have you thought of any names? We haven't really talked about it much." 

"Not really... I'm afraid to have that power." 

"Why do you say that?" Hunk questioned shooing Shiro away from  _his_ gumbo and taking the spoon

"Well... remember when you got me that parrot for my 8th birthday..." 

"Oh, Sir. Mcfrigginshpeil?" Hunk asked, "Oh, wait. I get it now." 

"But Pidge, what about the family dog that you helped name?" Shiro asked

"Brownie, the Chocolate Lab?" Pidge raised her eyebrow

"Bad example-"

"I just don't think letting me give the identity to another human is a good idea. I'd name them something ridiculous and they'll be ashamed of their name.... like I was." 

"Pidge, you changed your name because you weren't comfortable with it. It's something totally different. You didn't feel like your old name suited who you were as a person. It's not that it was a bad name or that it lost any of it's meaning. Plus, your parents walked you through it and accepted your decision helping you come up with a name that was more you-like." Hunk lectured "Also if the three of us can't come up with a half decent name, then this child can name themselves. All else fails, their first word is their name, deal?" 

Pidge smiled, "Deal." 

"We all have about one month to come up with names for the boy or girl." 

"Do you think we should hyphen their last name...?" Pidge asked

"Hyphen? To what?" 

"Well... McClain-Gunderson?" Hunk and Shiro froze, "I know it might be stupid but he did help make the baby and I just.... I want to kind of... I don't know." 

"I think it's a wonderful idea," Hunk smiled "Trudy McClain-Gunderson,"

"EWWW~ NO!" Pidge gasped as she shook her head "Trudy??" 

"Sounded better in my head," Hunk poked out his tongue as he fought with her and slightly teased her back

 

Three weeks later, a week early, a baby boy was born. His skin caramel and hair as deep brown, thick and curly as his fathers. He opened his eyes to a bright blue oceanic landscape dancing inside the orbs which quickly curled as his first noise to this world was a giggle. 

Shiro cooed as he and Hunk were called in once Pidge was covered and modest. Shiro was practically in tears when he heard Pidge gasping and screaming from the contractions, but he ran right to her side and talked in the highest pitch his voice could muster as he talked to the giggling boy wrapped in pastel blue blankets with the cutest blue winter cap on his head trying its best to contain the uncontrollable curls on top of his head. 

"Oh, my goodness~," Shiro said as he kneeled down beside the child "He's so CUTE!" Shiro squished his own face worried that his excitement would crush the little one. The baby wiggled and writhed trying to get free as it giggled and made eye contact with Shiro. 

"Want to hold him?" Pidge asked Shiro 

"Excuse you, I thought we talked about me getting holding privileges first!" Hunk said scandalized 

"That was if they were a girl, remember? But he's not." Pidge motioned for Shiro to bend down to grab the little one from her arms

"He's so little-!!" 

"Remember the classes, Shiro!" Pidge called a little worried "We all went to them for a reason!" 

"I know, I know... but those classes do no justice to reality! He's so... ooOOooh, he's looking at me. OH. NO. He's too much. He's won my heart over already." 

"Stop being so dramatic Shiro!" 

"Who's the father?" A nurse came in and asked, seeming to have paperwork to fill out

"He's not here, but his name is Xavier McClain," Pidge said to the nurse smiling and letting out a puff of air

"And what are you going to name the child?" 

"Lance," The three said at the same time and laughed 

"Oh, my heart! We agreed on a name!" Pidge said loudly "His name is Lance, Lance Xavier McClain-Gunderson."

 

* * *

 

 

"Am I goin' a see Uncle Hunk tahday?" 

"Of Course, and it's 'to-day' Captain, okay?" 

"Mhm. But what if Uncle Hunk is bisdy?" 

"Well, then I guess you'll get to go to the daycare sooner." 

"YAAAAY! I get to see Auntie Luura and Granpa Cran!!"

"Yeah. But also you'll have a new friend, Uncle Shiro says that there is a new worker starting today, remember what he said?" 

"Patience leads to focusedness,"

"And?" 

"If you have nothing nice to say don't say it at owl!" 

"Good job! What do we do if the new person has a question?" 

"Answer it with respwect and a smile~," 

"That's my boy, Captain! Now, remember, I'm starting my new job today so you're going to be with Auntie Allura and Grandpa Coran for a little bit longer today. I told them Friday that I wouldn't be back until around closing time, so don't worry if I'm a little late, okay?" 

"Otay!" Pidge smiled as she stopped the car and walked out unbuckling Lance and walking him to the door of Hunk's home.

"Pidge!" Hunk said happily as he opened the door

"And me!!" Lance shouted as he jumped up and down

"Wow, you've grown up so fast!!" Hunk squatted down as he tried to not seem as big to Lance 

"You know what today is?!" Lance asked as he walked over to Hunk and grabbed at his hair a little and then grabbing at the headband with a single bedazzle still on it from last weeks bedazzle battle

"What?"  

"Guess!"  

"Is it.... National Llama day?"  

"No, silly!" Lance giggled as Hunk then picked him up

"Is it.... National Uncle Shiro day?"  

"NO!! That was two days 'go!"

"Right, we skipped out on my hugs for bothering Uncle Shiro at work," Hunk informed Pidge, "So then, is it National Cheesecake day already?"  

"Uncle Hunk!!"  

"Is it... someone's birthday?"  

"YEAH!"  

"Is it.... Auntie Allura's?"  

"NOOO~!"  

"Is it.... your Mommy's birthday?"  

"No! UUNNCLE HUUUNK!"  

"I'm just joking! You're turning four! Happy birthday, Captain!" Hunk placed him on the ground and added a Burger King crown painted blue on Lance's head "All Hail King of the Day.... what's you name King?"  

"Lance Zavier McCwain-Gundderton!" Lance said with all the confidence that he could muster as he placed his hands on his hips

"Good job!!" Hunk laughed 

"I'm going to head to work, is that alright?" Pidge asked as she placed a present on the kitchen table 

"Yeah, but I should remind you that the Daycare closes at 7 and I work till 9. Shiro is at work until.... well he was called in so it'll be an all-nighter. They don't mind if you show up a few minutes after 7 but we can never do 8 again, Allura almost had our heads!" 

"I didn't mean for it to last till eight, okay, not my fault! Anyway, I've got to head. Captain, can I have a hug?" Pidge kneeled and received a strong hug from her son. "When I pick you up let's go to The Blue Lion and get some ice cream, okay?" 

"Pidge, you can't take him into a bar." Hunk scolded

"An _Ice Cream_  bar, Hunk, and Lotor let me bring him in last time. There are not alcoholic beverages, even if they were they don't believe my ID. I'm 20 for heaven's sake! Anyway, I hope you have a good day, Captain, and I will see you around 7 O'clock, or when the really small hand hits the squiggly-doo on the clock, okay?" 

"Okay, love you, mommy!!" Lance smiled as he hugged her again and waved at the threshold of the door as Pidge drove off to work. 

"Ready to open your present, Captain?" 

"Not without Mommy," Lance said a little more mellow this time

"That's okay, let's go in and watch Gundam, okay?" 

"Otay..." Lance looked to the road and watched Pidges vehicle disappear.


	2. Chapter 2

Lance held onto Hunk's large hands as tight as he could, for some reason he was nervous today and didn't even want to go to daycare. He had asked Hunk a thousand times to just go to work with him, he loved sitting in the kitchen and trying the new food out! But instead, Lance ended up walking to daycare and be a big boy today. 

"Shiro said the new guy's name is Keith, he's really new to the area and doesn't know a lot of things so you have to be nice."

"I'll be good.... I'm always good..." 

"I know, Lance," Hunk looked down to the boy to see him focusing on his steps as he gripped the sleeve of his shirt, "Uncle Shiro and I will visit you at Lunch, okay?" 

"Yeah... can you bring mommy too?" 

"No, she only has a half hour break for lunch today, and it takes half that time to drive to get her... sorry buddy." 

Lance let out a really long and deep sigh as he kept his eyes on the ground. Hunk looked to him knowing that Lance was worrying for his mother. Lance worried for his mother a lot, even at a young age he knew that Pidge was doing her best to pay for everything, she even had to get another job to be able to pay for him to go to the good school in the town next door (about a half hour to a forty-five minute drive). 

Lance was already four years old. Hunk thought back to the first month or so where Lance wouldn't cry for Pidge but instead scream and blabber in a panic when she wasn't by his crib side. She got fired from her job because several customers complained about her doing a horrible job or hanging up on them due to screaming in the background. Pidge had to pick up a part time job at a J.C. Penny's nearby and today she started her other part time job shredding and filing paper after she digitized it all. Hunk knew that she'd be tired when she got off her shift and probably crash and burn after picking Lance up.... if she even remembered. Hunk had Shay, one of his coworkers who had today off, on speed dial if Pidge forgot Lance. 

They walked up the steps to the daycare and walked right in, "Alright, buddy, remember what Uncle Shiro says?" 

"Patience leads to focusedness," Lance mumbled

"Good job, buddy,"

"Dropping your son off sir?" an, almost, silent voice questioned to Hunk prompting him to look up to the wielder of such a voice. 

Standing shorter than Hunk, about 6 foot even or so, with medium length black hair accented with an 80's inspired curly-cue mullet, thick black rimmed glasses, purple mute eyes, a big plaid sweater balled into his nervous fists and jeans stood the perfect description of the new guy Shiro talked about. 

"You must be the new guy Keith, right?" Hunk extended his hand to shake, which the new guy obliged. 

"Y-yeah..." 

"I'm Hunk and this is--"

"I'M LANCE!" Lance jumped up and waved "Good mornin' Keef!" Lance beamed at the style of the new guy, his eyes practically mimicking stars as he instantly (as if with a snap of fingers) changed his mood. 

Hunk giggled as he rubbed Lance's head messing his hair a little, "I'm Lance's Uncle just dropping him off. You've already met Shiro, he's Lance's other Uncle. Oh," Hunk said hanging up a small bag with Lance's name (extra snacks that Hunk always packed), "Lance's mother should be here around six to pick him up, she might be a little late and if she get's too late Allura and Coran have an emergency contact of mine that has the day off so don't worry about it." 

 "O-kay," Keith said, somewhat sizing Hunk up. 

"Oh, Hunk," Coran's voice called as he walked out of the kitchen with the little Baby nicknamed 'Red'

"UNCLE CRAN!!" Lance shouted as he ran towards Coran "Is that Wed? How is she??" 

"Well, you see," Coran squatted so Lance could see Red who noticeably just woke up from her nap. She's one of the five babies at the daycare, she's Lance's second favorite but Blue always napped and hardly came out of the nursery room, "She's doing really well today. Her Daddy even bought her a new red onesie." 

"Good Mornin' Wed," Lance meekly waved as he looked to the tired eyed baby

"I'll see you at lunch, buddy," Hunk called to Lance 

"Have a good day, Uncle Hunk!" Lance said running and hugging Hunk as he then turned and went back to Coran and walked with him to the baby room. 

"Shiro and I will be back to have lunch with him, also I packed some snacks in his backpack, he tends to get the munchies when he starts to miss his mom. I'll see you later, Keith." 

"Bye, s-sir." Keith nodded his head, stopping himself from bowing like a foreign idiot. 

* * *

Keith was confident that he was not ready for the real world. He had moved _several_ towns over--even a few states--on the last leg of his savings and needed to find a job to be able to survive. He'd been sleeping in his car for the past few months after being kicked out of his apartment building so a real bed was overdue. 

Most of the jobs in the area involved experience prior, college, or something else Keith didn't have. He searched and searched for a few days, having to park at Walmart and sleep in his car a few times before he found a nice neighborhood with "Extra Helping and Loving Hands Wanted" in the window. 

"A Daycare?" Keith raised his brow. He was never good with children, he hated taking a breath and explaining things that he himself didn't even know. That didn't mean he didn't want a family eventually, but he was Asexual. He didn't  _need_ sex and didn't want it either. He never thought of dating before just having children but he never wanted to adopt a child and put them through a single parent who couldn't even take care of themselves. He also didn't want to just adopt to adopt, he wanted to be able to save a child that was like him.... "too old" for others to want. Keith shook his head as he parked his car and walked up to the building hoping that the children out front were being watched. 

"A new parent?" A thick British-accented voice startled him before he even opened the door. He looked to his left to an older orange haired man rocking back and forth with a baby in a green onesie. 

"N-No..." Keith pointed to the sign in the window, "I... um--saw your sign for helping h-hands.... and I--um-- have two?" 

"Wonderful, walk right in, the woman inside is Allura. She'll ask you a few questions and decide if she wants to hire you." 

"Alright..." Keith nodded and headed inside the building where there were three children running around playing cops and robbers "Ms. Allura?" Keith called

"STRANGER DANGER!" A child screamed, getting a large built woman to stumble out of the kitchen, her silver hair in a bun on the top of her head and two babies in Black and Yellow onesies on her front and back

"I'm here, for the.... job? I'm Keith." Keith meekly waved as he explained to the children that he was merely here to help out

"Would you read us stories?" 

"Would you feed us?!"

"You can never replace Llura or Crans' stories!" 

"Alright, off you go, go shoot each other and not the guest," Allura shooed the children "Can you start now---uh, Keith?" 

"Really?" 

"We REALLY need a hand, we had Nyma but she quit so suddenly leaving with her boyfriend on a road trip to who-knows-where. I am not good with babies and Coran has a system where he only coddles one at a time and since today is Monday it's Greenie's turn until Red wakes from her nap."

"Sure, but I--"

"Excellent, stand still," Allura said as she swiftly and smoothly moved the baby sachets onto Keith, who felt like he just gained all his Thanksgiving and Christmas fat back.  

"This is Blake, in the black, the children call him Blackie, and this is Chance in the yellow, the kiddos call him Lellow. They both are just content with you walking around with them. I'm going to have you helping Coran in the Baby room until my boyfriend comes over with his niece who said she could work with the babies until their parent's come. Coran can introduce you to the rest of the babies." Allura walked outside, "Coran, can you show Keith around? He has Blake and Chance and I want you to introduce him to Rose, Baxter, and Grace."

"Of course," Coran laughed as he walked in 

"Alright, time to come into the castle, my little Paladins!" Allura called 

"But Llura!!" 

"Don't make me count!" She lightly threatened making the children outside run in to join the cops and robbers game inside. 

"Follow me, Keith." Coran motioned as he walked towards a decent hallway and to a room on the left. Six cribs filled the room four without children in them, "This is Greenie or Grace," Coran noted to the baby in his hands, "She's three months old right now, the oldest baby is six months wich is Blake."

"BLAM BLAM BLAM!!!" The little black baby on Keith's stomach squirmed as he spoke

"That's his first, and only, word," Coran laughed "What is is Blackie?" 

"Blam, blam, blam! BlaM!" 

"Oh, is that so?" Coran snickered. Keith heard ocean noises upon entering the room "Blue, or Baxter, can only sleep to Ocean music so we usually have it playing nonstop which makes him out cold," Coran pointed to the sleeping little boy as he continued to whisper, "As the most energetic, or social baby, he tends to sleep for days on end and then be bouncing and hyper trying to hold conversations with anyone. Then there is Rose, or Red as the kiddos call her," Coran pointed to the baby who was sitting up in her crip, almost arms crossed and pouting practically, "It takes a special soul for her to warm up to them. Nyma never figured out what made Red tick, but I get a feeling you can. Her dad just put her down for a nap and she should be done pouting in a couple minutes, she'll be out cold soon enough" 

"Right..." Keith looked down to Blake who jumped up and down a little as he pointed to a brown lion in his crib "You... want the lion?" Keith asked

"BLAM BLAM!" Blake responded 

"O-Okay..." Keith walked over to the crib and awkwardly grabbed the lion trying not to crush the child on his front

"Blam...." Blake smiled as if it were a thank you of some sort. Keith gently smiled as he then felt a tug at his back and slight weeping

"What?" Keith cracked his neck trying to look at the child on his back, snuggled head first in his back and seeming like he was having a bad dream,

"Oh, don't worry about that. Chance is very soft spoken and only tugs on you to get your attention. He usually has small dreams or will wake himself up from snoring, it's quite cute actually." 

"Do you really think I can do this?" 

"Keith, honestly, I don't know you. I don't know your past, for all Allura and I know you've come to kill us or something. But I get a decent vibe off of you, however, it's up to Shiro if you stay or not. Allura doesn't rather care for my opinion these days. Women in Love." Coran shrugged his shoulders, "Shiro will be here within the hour, so get well acquainted with Blake, he's Shiro's favorite." 

Coran then walked away with Grace cradled in his arms. "Don't look at me like that," Keith said looking down to Blake who blinked up at him, "I have no idea what I'm doing. I feel like strapped in on this roller coaster...I'm about to throw up..." 

"BLAM!" Blake offered up his lion to Keith as he stuck his legs out to emphasize that he would've jumped if he could. "Blam blam blam blam blam blam blam!" 

"I'm not taking your lion from you... how about we go out and see the bigger kids?" 

"BLAM!" Blake shouted as if a 'no'. He then pointed to a bookshelf with books

"Can you even understand reading?" Keith let out a sigh as he walked over to grab the book and sat down in a chair in the corner. He sat in the middle of the chair so not to disturb Chance, but also to let Blake turn the pages of the book if he wanted. "One Day--?"

"NOOO," A child ran into the room, "He's reading without us!" They screamed at the top of their lungs. All the children piled in, sitting right in front of Keith looking to him and waited. 

"Story!" 

"What?" Keith looked at the kids as he placed the small book down

"That's how you start story time, silly," A little girl said, "You sit in that chair and then tell us a story!" 

"Like this, Once upon a time," Another child started to help him. 

"Oh? Can't I just....read?"

"NOOOOOOOO!!" The children screamed

"O-okay....What do you want the story to be about?" 

"A Yelmore!" Twins chimed in 

"A what?" 

"Keith, why don't I take this one?" Coran said motioning for Keith to get up "I'm a professional Yelmore storyteller," 

It seemed like Coran sprinted back knowing the kids would ask Keith for a story. Keith wasn't against telling stories but he was not the best at telling them. 

Keith walked over to Allura, who smiled at him "It's time to put Chance in his crib and if you want you can take Blake out of the pouch."

"BLAM!" Blake straightened out his legs and lifted his arms still holding onto the Lion

"I think he wants to be held," Keith laughed as Allura helped him out of the complicated contraption and then held Blake on his hip. Blake had one hand cuddling his Lion close to him and the other gripping onto Keith softly. 

"I think he likes you," Allura coped

"Well," Keith looked to Blake, "put in a good word for me when Shiro comes, okay?"

"Blam blam?" Blake looked to Keith

"He should be here in a while, Keith," Allura said with a smile "Shiro can be... rough-- I suppose-- around the edges. But his rule is usually based around Blake, Lance, Ned, and Devon. Two of those kids won't come until later today, and Ned comes only on Wednesdays."

"Okay?" Keith didn't really understand that a grown man would care what the children thought over the owners of the establishment. 

"Why don't you follow me out and we'll clean up a little before the rest of the kids arrive?" 

"There's more?" Keith asked as he looked behind him and followed Allura 

"Yes, hence why we need help. We watch about twenty children, but it's never consistently that number every day. On holidays it's small unless you're talking about poor Ms. Fuentes. She's a single mother who waitresses and she get's almost no slack, she had to work all day Christmas last year, she begged us to watch her boys...." Allura let out a sigh, "But there are random days where every child will be here and it's crazy!" Allura began to pick up toys. Keith places Blake down at his feet and got onto his knees to make sure that Blake didn't feel overwhelmed with how much bigger Keith was than him. Keith began handing Blake toys which he crawled with to a small bucket which would be dumped into the large toy chest later.

The three cleaned up and finished under half an hour. The children had come out of story time with Coran and wrecked everything they picked up. Keith stayed on the ground with Blake sitting in his lap playing with his little lion. Keith smiled as he instinctively ran his hand through Blake's hair and then looked to the clock. 

It had been forty-five minutes since Keith entered. It felt like days. He already knew so many of the kids and was worn out beyond expectations  _how do parents do this?_

"Key?" A small little girl in a bright pink dress with blue flowers patterned across it, ran over to Keith with a small cell phone "answer it!"

"Uh..." Keith looked to the phone and hesitated for a second "w-who is it??" Keith asked reaching for the phone

"The Gingerbread man! Can you ask him to make cookies?!"

Keith took the phone and placed it to bis ear, "Hello? Yes. Heather was wondering if she could have cookies? I will tell her.... Bye" Keith handed back the phone, "he said it had to be okay with Ms. Allura first."

"LLURA!" Heather called excitedly

"Blam?"

"Yes, Blake?" Keith looked down to the boy and smiled 

"Blam?" He offered up his lion yet again

"It's your lion, not mine--"

"Oh, did you already find help?" A thick voice asked, without even the noise of the front door opening or closing. It startled Keith he slightly jumped. 

"Shiro!" Allura rushed to the door and hugged her boyfriend

"This is Tamara, she said she wouldn't mind helping Coran out with the babies until their Parent's come back." 

"Thank you, Tamara, Coran is in the nursery putting Greenie to bed," 

"BLAM!! Blam blam, blam!" Blake rolled out of Keiths lap and waddled towards Shiro as he shouted

"Blake!"

Keith just watched as this thick-skinned man turned to jelly as a small child waddled towards him. Keith felt like passing out the man in front of him was just too gorgeous. His radiance shines like the sun on the brink of the ocean in mid-summer. His body well built, and if he didn't have on short sleeves Keith would've never noticed his right arm being a prosthetic. He had several scars too as if he had been through a war and even a little bit of MAS (Marie Antoinette Syndrome [[here](http://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/everyday-myths/can-hair-turn-white-overnight.htm)]) where some of his hair had turned an unnatural white for someone as young as he is. 

"Blam blam blam blam blam!" 

"Oh, is that so?" Shiro giggled as he picked Blake up and began to have a conversation with him. 

"Blam, Blam blam blam blam!" Blake pointed to Keith and enunciated every other 'blam' as if he were trying to talk up Keith

"Is this the kid you texted me about, Hun?" Shiro looked to Allura

"What? Oh, yeah. Keith this is Shiro, my boyfriend. Shiro that's Keith. Blake seems to really take to him and Chance didn't even have a fit with I changed him over to Keith."

"Wow, that's a first, Chance doesn't do too kindly to strangers. Tell me, Keith," Shiro sat on the couch letting Blake crawl over him and play with his white tuft and giggle with glee "Why are you really here? Why come here and work? Why children?" 

"S-Sir.... truly, I'm from Texas... I moved here about a week ago and have been job searching. I need a job and... I don't know, but I felt a weird pull here... it was as if something was talking to me and then my feet went on their own.

"If you guys do background checks mine won't go so well. To be honest I wasn't the best kid. I was in an Orphanage by 9 and was too old to be adopted so I stayed. I got to 14 or 15 and craved attention that all the younger ones got so I rebelled.... now that will be on my record forever. I wasn't a smart kid, and I'm still learnin'.... but I really like it here, and I've been here for maybe an hour." Keith let out a huff "I came to make a new start, and I feel like this is a really good place to do so." 

"That's one heck of a story, Keith. Thank you for being real with us. I think you'll be a good fit here, right Blake?" 

"BLAM!"

* * *

 

"KEFF!" Lance screeched as he pulled at Keith's pant leg

"Yes, Lance?" Keith crouched to the boy

"Did you have a daddy?" 

Keith stopped. His brows furrowed, he knew his father and before he left Texas he still got letters from him. His father hadn't died but knew he couldn't take care of Keith the right way. He knew his father loved him and knew his father cared.... just in his own unique way. 

"I still have one, he's in Texas."

"Oh...." 

"What about your daddy?" Keith asked, obviously not ready for what was about to come from Lance

"I don't know..." Lance let out a sigh "I know Uncle Shiro, Uncle Hunk, Mommy, Auntie Llura, Granpa Cran.... but not of my Daddy. I don't know why. Do you think he left mommy and me?" 

"I don't know, what do you think he was like?" 

"Well.... I askted Uncle Shiro one time and he said Daddy was smart, so much so he was even an X-man!" 

"Really?" Keith snorted, knowing the X-men very well

"His nameb is Zavier, it's where I get my middle nameb. He was smart and he won mommy durin' ta sciency fair! He built a rover and then they started goin' out." Lance smiled "But.... I don't know what he looks like... or why I don't see him." Lance went quiet "it's even the day for daddies...."

"What's wrong, Lance?" Allura walked over and handed him one of his emergency cookies

"Daddy.... do you know when he'll be back?" 

Allura froze and looked to Keith, she walked over to Lance backpack and grabbed a cookie handing it to Lance, "Lance, Keith and I'll be right back. Eat that cookie okay?" 

"M'kay..." Lance nibbled on the cookie a little sniffling as if he was fighting back tears. 

"Did I do something wrong?" Keith asked worried as he and Allura went into the kitchen

"I forgot to warn you, Lance has a tendency to get hung up on things like _that_." 

"Like not knowing his father?" 

"I know, it sounds a lot worse than it actually is. Lance's father died in a car crash before he was even born... his mother is waiting to tell him because she doesn't think he'll understand it at this age." 

"Are you serious?" Keith crossed his arms

"Just... let her parent him. Try to deflect the whole father thing." 

"I'll do my best...but on _Fathers_ day, that will be hard," Keith let out a sigh as he walked back to Lance who was standing in the same place nibbling on the cookie and staring out the window from where he was. "Sorry about that, Lance, do you want to read a story?" 

"Y-Yeah..." Lance said not moving, "But can you do one?" 

"Make one up?" 

"Can we write one ta-gether?" 

"I tell the story and you draw it?" Keith asked extending his hand to lead Lance to the table to color

"With Wed and Blackie."

"I think I can arrange that, Kiddo." 

"Thanks, Keef...."

"What do you want this story to be about?" 

"A Sad Dragon, who doesn't know how to smile." 

"Why don't we make it about a superhero?" Keith offered "A super-boy named Lance who could win the heart of anyone with just a look." 

"Can he win your heart?" Lance asked

"Of course he can... he already has."

"Can he have a daddy?"

"Of Course,"

"Thank you, Keef...."

"Anytime," Keith and Lance sat at the coloring table, Lance content in Keith's lap as he colored and drew while Keith told a very rough story about a superhero and his father saving the world together. Lance interjected a couple times because he could. Keith huffed at a content "The End".

"I'm done with my dwawing!" Lance picked it up and showed it to Keith

Keith looked at the drawing with three stick figures, two were obviously the hero's in the story and the other looked like a rendition of him when he refused to eat, "that's a really nice picture,"

"It's of our bonding, so I never forget." Lance smiled wide to his new friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had no idea how I wanted to end this, sorry if the ending is a little choppy! Thank you for readin!


	3. Chapter 3

"Uh... what?" 

"Coran and I are going to make lunch. Can you tell the children a story? It's the best way to collect them all in one place. You can tell the story in the living room." 

"Uhhhh..." 

"Story time?" Lance tugged onto the hem of Keith's shirt, which he had yet to let go of since he and Keith bonded. 

"Yeah..." Keith let out a sigh and then louder announced: "Story time!" With fake joy. Children began to walk and run towards Keith, who was getting comfortable on the couch, they all sat by his feet and settled wondering when the story would begin. They were all quiet as they waited for the 'Once upon a time' to start up the story. Keith just looked back at them as he began to try to think of a story to tell them. They had already heard a story about Yelmore's (whatever those are) and he wasn't a master at stories in general.

"Keef," Lance said sitting right in front of Keith and smiling, "What's the story?"

"Oh.... uhh...." Keith was still drawing a blank, "Once upon a...time? there was a little.... alien...."

"What's his name?" Samantha asked as loud as possible as if Keith wouldn't hear her in the silence

"Well.... what do you want his name to be?"

"KEEF!" all the children chimed in. Keith smiled faintly as he looked to the children.

"O-Okay.... well... _Keef_ was an alien. He had an alien mommy and an alien daddy. Keef was out with his parents when their car--uh.... spacecraft-- crash landed on Earth. Keef's mommy was badly hurt and the humans tried the best they could to help her. They took her to the hospital. Keef's daddy was worried, he was always with Keef's mommy and ended up forgetting about Keef. When Keef's father realized that he wasn't taking care of his son he decided to give him to a home that could. But the humans didn't really know how to take care of an alien... he was alone and different. Keef knew that his mommy and daddy loved him, even if they weren't in his life." Keith looked at Lance and smiled "They loved him very much, and they knew that they couldn't take care of him, that's why they sent him away. Keef's daddy still visited him when he could, but he was usually at the hospital. Keef grew up and moved out." 

"Where did Keef go??" Kevin asked, invested in the story

"Well.... Keef heard about other humans and wanted to befriend them."

"Why other humans?" Peter asked

"Keef thought that they'd accept him? He wanted to branch out and meet other people, and he wasn't on his home planet so he knew no one." 

"Why not go home? Why not go see his dad? Didn't he love him?" Lance asked looking to Keith seeming ready to cry. 

"Keef loved his parents a lot, but he wanted to branch out to meet new people--uh, yeah... people. He knew some in his area and they didn't really like him... so he wanted to meet some new ones." 

"What happened after Keef met the new people?" Becky asked

"Well... he has yet to meet them. He got lost on his way. He only had alien money on him and realized that he needed to earn Earth money. So he's around working." 

"But--!" 

"Lunch time!" Allura called, blessing Keith that he had some time to think of other answers to the kids. He told his own story but he didn't need the kids know that he's here temporarily and his goal is a few states up where his stepbrother lives and offered him a solid job and home. He just needed a couple paychecks. Keith was about to stand when he realized the kids were still staring at him as if refusing to eat because the story wasn't finished. 

"Come on, let's eat, alright?" The kids all ran to the table in the large kitchen except Lance who stood in front of Keith with a solemn look. "Lance, are you okay?" 

"Uncle Shiro and Uncle Hunk.... they usually come before Llura and Cran call for us. They'll be here, right??"

"Of course," Keith tried to smile, hoping that the two were about to pull into the driveway, "Let's go get them chairs and start eating, okay?" 

"Otay...." 

 

* * *

 

"Oh, my soul, Shiro! Could you drive any slower!" Hunk called tapping his hand on the outside of the car his arm hanging out as if he were ready to jump ship and run faster.

"This is not my car, Hunk, I am not going to drive as recklessly as _you_ do."

"You're such a _butt_..." Hunk mumbled.  

"How elementary of you, channeling Lance today?" 

"HEY--!" 

"Alright, you two," Shay pitched in from the back in a calm tone, "I did not agree--ON. MY. DAY. OFF-- to go see Lance just to hear you both bicker for the entire ride." 

"Sorry, Dear, he can be difficult," Hunk said looking back to Shay and smiling. 

"You both can be. Honestly, if I didn't know you two, I'd say you were fraternal twins with how you bicker and act." 

"Yeah, I can see that." Hunk shrugged

"We're almost there, about two minutes out." 

"Lance is going to be piss---frazzled that we're late." Hunk corrected

"Nice save, also, no swearing in front of Lance, Pidge does that enough."

"It surprises me how his first word was not the 'F' word," Shay said chuckling

 

"We're here," Shiro threw the car in park and jumped out of it with Hunk and Shay following his movement. 

"Thank's _Grandma_ , glad we made it. Also, I'm driving back otherwise we'll be late." 

"You are not driving, you may be pure hearted but your driving is straight from hell!"  

"Shiro, inside voice," Hunk shooshed Shiro with a playful voice  

"WE'RE OUTSIDE!" Shiro let out a breath, "Don't make me first name you,"  

"For what?! I haven't done anything!!"

"UNCLE HUNK!!! UNCLE SHIRO!!!" Lance burst through the door giggling and lightly tackling them to a soft hug,

"Lance, you can't just run off like that--!" Keith followed Lance in worry, worried that he'd get hit by a car but instead walked out to Shiro twirling Lance around and laughing a hearty laugh. This was still a weird thing for Keith to see: a strong man turning as soft as can be when he glances at any child. But with Lance, he seemed to hold a father figure feeling around him. He seemed to have that father's grasp around Lance's hips as he twirled and cooed at him. It would make sense if Shiro were Lance's father.... but he wasn't, at least not according to Allura's story. 

"There's my Captain!" Shiro set Lance on his shoulder

"Uncle Shiro, that's Keef!!!" Lance pointed to Keith who was awkwardly standing at the door and waved to Shiro

"H-Hi.... uhhhh, we set up placemats and everything for you guys..."

"Auntie Shay, why you here?" Lance relaxed his body and let his back hit Shiro's as Shiro held tight to his ankles. Lance looked at her upside down and giggled as she tickled him while he was vulnerable.

"Lance, don't be rude!" Hunk faked being scandalized 

"I have the day off, and I decided to tag along. Is that alright?" 

"Of course!" Lance smiled, and tried to fix himself, (though it was in vain and ended up not-so-gracefully getting down) "Keef, this is everyone.... minus mommy." 

" _Captain_ ," Shiro said a little coarsely, "I thought Uncle Hunk told you not to get your hopes up. Mom is at her new job," 

"I know... but I thought about 'what if'!" 

"You're just as bad as we are," Shiro laughed, "Let's go eat the lunch Allura and Coran made, shall we?" 

"YEAH!" 

The four, plus Keith, entered into the daycare and sat at the table, greeting all the children and earning smiled and giggles back. Keith let Shay take his spot as he stood on the wall adjacent just watching Lance smile and laugh. Watching him brighten up as he talked nonsense. 

"And Keef told me a really good story! I'm gonna have to tell mommy.... but.... _KEEF_ ," Lance called

"Y-Yeah?!" Keith called back worried 

"Can you tell the story to my mommy? I think she'd like it." 

"I wish I could, Lance, but I have stuff to do after work, maybe another time?" 

" 'Course!" Lance cheered and went back to talking to Shiro, Hunk, and Shay. Lance seemed to always loop back around to Keith, telling the three about the adventures of the two. Lance had yet to actually leave Keith's side, let alone eyesight, all day so literally, every story involved Keith in some way. Whether it was stopping Lance from falling onto the hardwood with reflexes, grabbing a glass that almost fell the the ground, chasing Lance down for nap time, having Lance sit in his lap as Lance tried to read a story to the babies (but actually ended up making up his own story and just wanted the book for the 'turning page' effect), saving Lance from being crushed by one of the empty cribs because he wanted to sleep in one and be "just like Red", Scolding Lance for coloring on the wall (even though it was good, it was wrong), or putting a band-aid on his knee after Lance decided that he wanted to be The Flash and run super fast tripping and falling. 

"I hope that you weren't of much trouble," Shay looked to Keith, who looked away and commented 

"I'm used to taking care of trouble makers, but Lance is a good kid. He's just high maintenance." 

"Did you heard that Uncle Shiro?? I'm high Maine-ten-ace!" 

"I did  _hear_ it, Captain." Shiro smiled as he placed is prosthetic on Lance's hair, he paused a little unsure about Lance's lack of reaction whether he was okay with it or not. But Lance began to eat the mac 'n cheese that Allura made, with slight difficulty and didn't seem to notice that Shiro had even placed a prosthetic on his head. 

"Keef, can you help?" Yoshi walked up to Keith and presented a turn top jar of something that he had in his hands.

"Yoshi, where did you get this?" 

"Llura placed it on the table, and we can not open it." 

"Are you sure Allura put the jar on the table? She usually doesn't leave glass in places where Nate can get it."

"I'm a big boy! Llura trusts me! Please open it Keef!"

"Okay," Keith squatted down, almost eye level with Yoshi, "Kiddo, is the jar yours?" 

"But Keef!!-" 

"Uh-uh..." Keith stopped Yoshi from complaining, "Is the jar yours?" 

"N-No..." 

"Did Allura put it on the table?" 

" _Keeeeeeffff_ " Yoshi complained as if he wished Keith would just open the jar

"Did Allura put it on the table?" 

"No...." Yoshi sighed as he looked up to Keith, knowing that there was no way he was going to get a pickle now. 

"Alright, then can you do me a 'big boy' favor, and put it right back where you found it? Maybe we can ask Allura later if we can all have some. How does that sound?" 

"Otay.... but o-o-only for you!!" Yoshi said, sniffling and returning the jar to where Keith assumed he had found it.

"That was handled well," Hunk whispered to Shiro, "I didn't even think about the fact that the kids don't bring their own lunches.... I would've opened it right up for him." 

"Really?" Shiro smirked, "It was kind of obvious, kids parents wouldn't just pack a jar of pickles for them. Plus, _he_  could've handled it better," Shiro pointed out, loud enough to make Keith's ear twitch and eyes fall for a second

"Keef!" Sasha called him over, 

"Y-Yeah?" Keith's eyes shot up to the opposite end of the table to a pale girl with shimmering golden eyes

"Sit wit me??" 

"O-Okay," Keith smiled as he walked over and sat on the ground beside Sasha. She seemed content to just have Keith sitting beside her as she talked with Levi who sat beside her (both around the age of 5).

Keith talked with Sasha and the others the joined in or were already sitting around, he listened to their stories and some of them even asked him about the one he told earlier about the alien. They all seemed intrigued about it (Keith didn't understand why since it didn't really make any sense and he was more or less just trying to tell the kids his life story). Lance seemed to be sulking a little, without Keith by his side he seemed... incomplete. Or rather like he was now remembering the troubles of his mind rather than enjoying a new face with a new perspective. 

 

Shiro and Hunk knew something was off but rather decided to talk about it on the way back to work and decide if it was anything to tell Pidge or talk to Lance about tomorrow.

After Lunch was recess, Shiro, Hunk and Shay decided that they could stay a little for Recess and just play around with the kids, but Shiro also wanted to see how Keith was outside. Every kid was let outside, Coran was stuck inside with the babies and occasionally came out with one of the babies for a walk around the building trusting Tamara with the other sleeping angels. But other than that it was just Keith and Allura watching the kiddo's roam and play around with their new jungle-gyms: Shiro and Hunk. 

Shiro laughed as he grabbed the children and played the 'monster' in their tag game. June had come up with it a while back, where Shiro was the 'monster' of tag and whoever he tagged were his little minions and had to help Shiro try to tag the rest of the kids until they were all 'infected'. 

"Hiro! You can't come into the freedom castle!" Britney scolded and pointed her finger at Shiro as if about to send him to a time out.

"Why not?" Shiro asked as he poked her nose and squatted down in one motion

"Cause! It's safe from every-ting!" 

"I tagged you though," 

"Nuh-uh!" 

"You were not in the freedom Castle, Brit," one of the 'infected' children called behind Shiro "You're one of us!" 

"One of us! One of us! One of us!" The kids started chanting behind Shiro as they ran around 

 

"Hunk..." Lucy walked up to Hunk and reached for his hand Hunk looked down to her and bent down scooping her up 

"Yes, Lulu?" 

"Are you leaving?" 

"Eventually, but not right now, why?" Hunk said as he put her on his shoulders where she always asked to be 

"Can we rule the kingdom?" 

"Of course, where's our Prince though? We need to have the whole family to play 'Rulers'." 

'Rulers', was Lucy's version of playing House, but rather they were a royal family. Hunk was always the King, Lucy the Queen and every so often the Prince's (or Princesses) would change. 

"Can Keef be the Prince?" Lucy asked. Hunk looked over to Keith who was sitting on the ground having three of the eldest girls running around him 'dolling him up' and braiding his hair.

"I... think he's a little busy, what about Lance?" Hunk said looking to Lance who was quietly sitting in Keith's lap letting the girls play with Keith's hair and just playing with Keith's glove talking about nothing

"He's not a good prince, he doesn't listen to us..." 

"You've got that right," 

"We could have Black?" 

"Black is napping... why not it just be us then?" 

"No...." Lucy rested her head on Hunk's floof of hair

"Maybe we can find Natsu and you two can play?" 

"Natsu is sick...."

"Okay, then why don't you be the queen and I'll be the prince? You can tell me what to do?" 

"We have to save the castle, Prince Hunk, The Champion of 'infected' tag is keeping hostages!" 

"How do you think we should save the people from The Champion?" Hunk said a little louder than anticipated

"Oh?" Shiro turned around and laughed, the little 'infected' kids turned with him

"You can't beat The Champion! That's why he got his name! He's the strongest!" Luke yelled

"I bet Princess Llura can!" Lucy said pointing to Allura who was laughing at Keith being so calm with getting his hair braided

"That's cheating," Shiro said scandalized, "Using my girlfriend like that!" Shiro fell to his knees and placed his hand over his heart "She's too pure," 

"Oh, no! Hiro!" The kids ran to him, forgetting that this was not reality

"Shiro?" Allura turned to him, he winked at her

"She's too good for this world! It overrides me, I can feel the goodness fill me up!" Shiro fell forward onto his chest and let out a 'dying sound effect'

"Hiro!" Lucy struggled where she was, Hunk let her down as he tried not to burst out laughing from Shiro's overdramatic display

Shiro waited until Lucy was in range and shot up to his feet grabbing her with him, "I've got you know, your majesty!" 

"Hiro~~!" Lucy giggled as she realized how high up she was

"I have turned you, now you are on the  _dark_ side." Shiro looked to Hunk, "We must turn the Prince!" 

"Nooooo!!!" Hunk began to run around away from the children who were chasing him all chanting 'one of us' behind him "I'm too good to be turned" Hunk fake cried

"They're being really tame today," Allura commented

"Tame?" Keith asked not moving his head, he'd been yelled at doing that too much by now

"Trust me, when these two get with the kids they can be really dramatic," 

"SHAY HELP!" Hunk called trying to run from all the little giggling bodies and Shiro

"You're doing great, honey." Shay called from the porch, her week ankles and bad knees preventing her from running around with the kids as much as she would like. She just stayed on the porch with the kids that wanted to color rather than run around

"Your encouragement gives me strength!" 

"Sometimes I forget their adults," Allura said smiling

"Most do, I mean, Shiro is moving to pediatrics because of how good he is with Kids. Some of the parents ask him how he's so good. I told them once it was because he's a kid himself, I mean come on, no one can be that good with kids unless you are one." 

"Or unless you love them a lot," Allura said a little quiet looking to Keith who was teaching the girls how to make a flower crown, that he somehow knew how to make. His hair braided in six different twirling strands with hair ties of all colors and one with a fake flower on the end of it (hence the flower crown making circle). 

"I thought he'd never dealt with kids before," Shay questioned

"That's what he told us, so either he's a natural or he has something he doesn't want to talk about. He was in an orphanage, I know that much." 

 

"Keef?" Lance asked watching Keith's hands weave the crown

"Yes?" 

"How do you know?" 

"Know? Like how to make these?" 

"Yeah..." Lance seemed tantalized by the Morning Glory 'Heavenly Blue' flower crown that Keith was making

"Well, I found that doing things like this calms me down. When I'm nervous or when I'm distracted by too many things doing things with my hands really helps. Origami was one thing that I've always done and then one day I just--" 

"What's origami?" Lance interrupted

"Folding paper. I can show you during crafts later if you want." 

"I'd like that a lot." Lance smiled a little

 

"He's doing really well with him." Hunk said as him and Shiro were just then targeted by another braiding crew, the other kids worn out and two kids asking them nicely if they could braid their hair.

"I don't like it."

"Don't like the fact that Lance has a new friend? Or don't like the fact you feel like you're being replaced?" 

"What?" Shiro said looking to Hunk

"Hiro! Don't move!" 

"Sorry, Jannet," Shiro said moving his head back "I don't feel that..." 

"Oh? So that's not the reason you're sizing Keith up? You don't hate him because Lance liked him instantly whereas Lance used to be terrified of guys in general? I remember how broken we were, US BOTH, when he rejected us. When he cried for hours until he passed out when Pidge left him with us. Lance hated us for years. He hated daycare, he'd do the same thing here. He pushed Allura away and fought Coran. I understand that you don't approve of someone because everyone in Lance's life he's hated on first sight. But now, he's growing in more ways than one. He loves more people than Pidge and he's letting some of the kids in too. I don't know what Lance likes in Keith, or what he sees, but let's trust Lance's judgment over ours."

"Thanks for getting all preachy..." 

"You needed it, I know it's not going to help this second, Shiro, but listen to your heart, not your head. That's what you've always done until Keith." 

"I'll try." 

"Shiro, Hunk," Shay called standing and pointing to their phones

"Duty calls," Shiro said "Jannet, looks like I have to go back to work," 

"Sorry, Charles looks like I have to go back and cook," 

"Have fun!" The two both understood and smiled 

"Captain, we're heading out," Shiro called 

"Have a good day!" Lance got up and ran to them hugging both of them "Bye bye!" 

"Bye, see you tomorrow. Mommy should be here to pick you up, okay?" 

"Otay!" 

"Bye, Shiro," Allura hugged him and smiled as the three then left the daycare with everyone waving goodbye.... even Keith. 

"I'll give him a chance, okay?" Shiro said getting into the passenger seat, "But he does one thing and he's a dead man." 

"Agreed," Hunk smiled starting up the car

"You two are too overprotective," Shay smiled, "Can I get in on the action?" 

"Always!" Hunk backed up the car and headed off to the hospital.

Lance waved as he watched the car leave, as he watched everyone leave. That's all he did, was watch his family leave him. Drive away. Lance stopped waving and felt tears almost began to fall down his face until he felt a light disrupt on his head and moved his hand to touch it. 

"It suits you." Keith said, "The blue flower crown I made for you," Keith smiled, "Want to go make one for your Uncles and one for your mommy?" 

"YEAH!" Lance laughed as he grabbed Keith's hand and walked back over to the flowers and began to make flower crowns for his family. His entire family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry that this took so long to get out! I had a lot I wanted to get into this chapter and such! I will be updating once a week (hopefully), so the next chapter should be out the 14th! Thanks so much for reading I hope you liked it!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly melancholy tone to this chapter. Sorry?

"La--AANCE!" Keith lunged forward and grabbed Lance by the inside of his stomach

"Awww Keef!" 

"Lance, you would've fallen!" Keith let out a sigh as he pulled Lance away from the top of the fence. He heard a little sigh and small cry from the movement from his back, "Sorry Yellow," Keith tried to look behind him at the small child that Allura had strapped on him, yet again, when Coran decided to take Greenie and Blake on walk around the block a few times. 

"Climb! Keef, I wana climb!!" 

"I noticed when I took my eyes off of you for 5 minutes and you climbed the tree and I lectured you then.... and now a fence... It's dangerous to just wander about, what would I do with you if you got hurt?" Keith scolded 

"Fix me!" Lance giggled and squirmed in Keith's grip. 

"Yeah," Keith smiled fondly, "I'd fix you.... alright, let's get inside El Tornado." Keith set Lance down who ran as fast as he could towards the daycare making horn honking noises and giggling. They had gone outside only because Lance wouldn't stop complaining that he hadn't seen Coran in a while and he wanted to see him. That worry wart. However, the second they got outside Lance started running around and climbing dangerous things that could get him hurt. "Let's go see if Red is awake, maybe she'll want to go for a walk, right Chance?" 

"..." Chance clamped down on the back of Keith's shirt

"Alright then, let's go check on her," 

"RED!!!" Lance called loudly as Keith opened the door. 

Keith walked in and followed a sprinting Lance, he passed Allura rolling his eyes and jogged slightly after Lance, who seemed like the only reason he got hired at this point. 

"RED" Lance whisper-yelled as he entered into the nursery and skulked his way towards Red's cribs. Red was sitting up in her crib as if waiting for them to come and get her. She giggled as Lance cooed at her and reached through the bars to poke her cheeks. She moved her head to a fond looking Keith and stretched out her arms making her hands into a grabbing motion. "She want's up," Lance smiled brightly, "Can I hold her Keef??" 

"No, Lance, but we can put her right here--" Keith pointed to the small seat that was on his stomach where Blake was earlier in the day-- "And she can come around and have fun with us. How does that sound?" 

"PWEASE!!!" 

"Shh, we don't want to wake Blue up," Keith glanced over to the blue crib and stopped breathing for a second as if to welcome screaming and crying, but then he realized that the Blue baby had gone home for the day, his fathers coming to pick him up and thanking Allura and thousand times again for watching their child. 

"PWEASE!" Lance repeated as he looked to Red and then tugged at Keith's shirt, 

"Yes, but we are inside, so use your inside voice." 

For the few hours Keith's been at the daycare he's picked up on so much. He wasn't one for dealing with children back in his home town, the children even hated him back there, so to find someone as small and kind as Lance made Keith beam. Lance seemed patient and as if he cared for Keith though he didn't know him. Keith could only wonder how amazing of a woman Lance's mother must be. She had to be patient, kind, loving, and he could only picture her as a spitting image of Lance (or the other way around?). He knew she had to be a strong and confident woman, the woman who would be able to raise this child on her own (though with the two older brother figures she seemed to have it didn't really look like she was raising him on her own. 

"Can we watch Mo-Mo 'gain?" A small child came into the crib room just as Keith and Lance were about to leave,

"Weren't you just watching it?" Keith asked wanting to squat to their height but tensed at the stirring child on his back

"Credits...." The child said and pointed to the room where the kids usually watch movies or play games (to try to keep it contained even though it does not stay that way). 

"What do you say, Red?" Keith looked down to the wide-awake-yet-quiet child, "Want to watch a movie?" 

"YEAH!" Lance cheered for the both of them

Keith smiled as he followed Tom, the small child, and Lance to the movie room. 

"LLURA AGAIN!" A few of the children were begging Allura as they draped themselves over her

"..." She just let out a sigh

"Allura," Keith said walking into the room, "I've got this." 

"Keith, you're a blessing" Allura got up and walked out with tired eyes. Keith hit the 'root menu' button on the remote and then 'play' as the movie played yet again. It was weird watching this movie again. The name after the main character who felt trapped and had to get out, she felt as if the water was calling her as if the vast oceanic eyes bore deep within her own and pulled her for an adventure that she never even imagined for herself. Moana, he thought the name was, but the littler kids called it Mo-Mo, as if Moana was too hard of a name to remember. Keith knew some of the songs, and obviously, all the children belted out the songs in childish harmony as they laughed and giggled. Keith had gotten Chance out of his back and held him and Red in his arms so that he could sit down on one of the rocking chairs. 

In the middle of the movie, or around the middle, there was a large crab guy singing and dancing, Keith felt something missing, and he realized that Lance was not around him. He quickly counted the heads of the kids.... one missing. Keith debated moving and waking up the now sleeping babies and leaving the kids to themselves or staying and finding Lance after the movie... but he felt 'after the movie' would never come since Allura seemed trapped for more than one showing of the movie. Keith got up and walked across the hall to put the babies in their cribs, Chance moving a little but not waking and Red out like a log. Keith breathed, thankful that the two didn't wake and headed out to see where Lance had gone. 

 

Lance wasn't that far off. He was sitting on the couch with his bag opened and cookies in his hands. Keith smiled happy that he found Lance and went to call for him,

"Lan--!" 

"Keith, don't." Allura interrupted him, "He's not in a good place right now, and when he's like this it's best to leave him alone." Allura said placing a hand on Keith's shoulder. 

"What do you mean?" Keith looked closer. Lance was holding one real cookie and one fake cookie. On the back plush side of the cookie was written 'Xavier' in decent, about middle school, handwriting. Lance's eyes painted deep blue, passionate at staring out the window and to the empty road. The oceans in his eyes spilled out as he silently cried to himself, his mouth too occupied with the real cookie and chewing than to let out a scream and protest life. "You should never leave a child to cry by themselves!" Keith gasped

"It's what works for him. He won't talk about it anyway. All I know is that he's missing his mother right now and holding a cookie with his middle name written on it. He misses his mother and he wants to go home. Coran and I usually let him sulk because that's what his Uncles say is the best for him when he's like this."

"You say it as if it's a daily occurrence as if this is normal for him." 

"It is. It's usually before now but you've been distracting him well." 

"I'm, at least, going to hold him." 

"Keith, don't," Allura repeated from before.

"I was left to cry and sulk as a child and all I ever wanted was someone to hold me, someone to tell me that everything was going to be alright even though it wasn't. I can give him that, I can give him the ONE thing I wanted as a child. You can't stop me from doing this, Allura---uh....sorry." Keith said the last word under his breath as he walked over to Lance. Keith placed his hand on Lances back trying not to startle him. "Hey, buddy, what 'cha thinking about?" 

"Mommy..." Was all Lance said as he held onto the fake cookie with a death grip whitening the ends of his fingers. 

"She'll be here, okay. But not for a little bit. She's still working." Keith smiled painfully as Lance didn't look away from the road. "Didn't Uncle Hunk say that she'd be here around six or seven? So it's only going to be about an hour until she's here." Lance didn't respond he only blindly searched for another cookie out of the bag that Hunk had brought with him. "Did Uncle Hunk make those?" Keith knew the answer, but Lance didn't tell him yes or no, he just chewed on the cookie that was almost too big for his hands. "Do you want a... hug?" Keith offered thinking that he'd get the same answer's as before--nothing. But as fast as Lance's head whipped around and looked to Keith with starry, puffy eyes and a little voice that almost broke his heart,

"No one's ever asked me that...." Keith quickly grabbed Lance and held him in an embrace, his very small body shaking. 

"Everything.." Keith let out a sigh as he placed one hand on the back of Lance's head, "Everything will be alright." Lance let out a whimper and then just let everything out, dropping the real cookie to the couch and holding on tight to Keith as he cried his heart out. 

Lance cried his heart out, he cried himself to sleep in Keith's arms still holding onto the cookie with the unique name written on it. Keith held Lance carefully as he cleaned around making sure the cookie wasn't crumbled into the couch and tossing it away, zipping up the bag of 20 or so more cookies and putting them back into Lance's bag, hooking it up in its rightful place. Keith carried Lance to the nursery and sat in the chair rocking back and forth as Lance sniffed in his sleep. Keith rearranged Lance slowly as if to not disturb him but also he didn't want the little guy to wake up sore and with a few ghost limbs. Lance curled on Keith's chest and slept for a good while. 

* * *

 

Keith ended up falling asleep too and only woke up when Coran entered into the nursery to check on Keith who he heard had disappeared with a crying Lance into the nursery. Apparently, his walk was to take the two babies to their parents who are very forgetful and live down the road a little, and the other two babies were picked up just before Keith fell asleep. 

"You look worn out, I think it best if you go home, Keith," Coran said placing a kind hand on the top of Keith's head

"Home?" Keith thought for a second, "I don't think I deserve to go....home... before Lance. Thank you, though, Coran." Keith looked down to Lance who was still sleeping soundly

"You are very good with him, I think it just like a mother Yepper with her cub. But he is not yours, so why?"

"He reminds me of me, well, me at the orphanage. He seems lost without his mother and alone and all he wants is to see her--" 

"Allura? Coran?" A young voice cut through the talk, "I am so sorry, I know it's almost seven and I'm cutting it really close!" 

Coran walked out and smiled as he welcomed the young sounding girl with a laugh, a pet name, and they started chatting. 

"Lance, I think someone is here to pick you up....maybe your mom sent over a babysitter?" Keith woke Lance up

"Keef..... I don't want to get up..." Lance said holding onto Keith tightly as he stood

"I know, but it's time for you to head home, okay?" 

"Is mommy here?" 

"I don't think so," Keith said unsurely as he walked towards the entrance. The girl who was talking to Coran sounded the same age as the one Shiro dropped off to help with the babies earlier. Keith dubber her Taunting Tammy because she just seemed like she knew she was better at everything than him and taunted him with her eyes about it. She was friggin 14 and she had that look of disapproval in an instant. 

Anyway....

"Where is he? He's usually waiting for me on the couch"

"He's with Keith, the new guy, they were inseparable for almost the whole day. Lance took a good liking to him." 

"I'm glad he was comfortable with the new guy, you know how he can be with new faces." 

Keith entered into the line of sight of the girl. Keith just stopped and connected eyes with her. Her eyes captured everything about her, her intellect, her playful deceit, her story, her...beauty. Her eyes that shine just as brightly as Lance's are accented with a grotesque and less-than feminine pair of glasses that made Keith think Harry Potter. But they did not hide the beauty of her wavy hair that stood on ends and seemed to strain against the pony tail that it was forced into and accenting her childish shaped face. Her body was nothing to sneeze at and didn't make Keith think her as a child for it was the body of a grown woman, possibly his age and maybe a year or two younger. She wore a simple navy blue long sleeved collared shirt and black leggings with half calf boots that looked like they'd seen better days. 

Keith choked on his words that were blocked by his heart which had jumped to his throat. But her, this beauty in front of him, shifted to anger the second she spotted him. 

"Oh, this is Keith," Coran chuckled, "Speak of the devil and all that." 

"....hi..." Keith croaked out

"Hi, I'm not interested" 

 _Weird name,_ Keith joked in his head and tried not to smile at himself. 

"Mommy?" Lance moved slowly, his body tired and slow

"I don't--" Keith didn't finish that statement. He wanted to say that he didn't think this woman in front of him was Lance's mother, but she radiated strength and prowess from her very bones. 

"Yes, Captain, it's me." She softened as soon as her little boy called out to her. She walked closer to Keith and managed to slowly, and awkwardly move Lance to her body where he sighed in content. "Thank you, again, _Coran_ ," The girl--whops, woman--turned and lightly hugged Coran as much as she could with Lance on her chest. She grabbed his little bag and left out the door. 

"Who....was that?" Keith asked putting his hand up to his chest to try to calm down the rapid beating of his heart. 

"That is Pidge Gunderson, she's Lance's mother."

"Coran, I'm being serious," Keith had never felt that... what was the word? Swoon? Enchanted? Captivated? by a woman, or man for that matter of fact, ever. 

"I am as well, Keith. Lance takes after the father more so, or so she told us. Allura and I moved the daycare to this town shortly after he had passed." 

"Do you know what happened?" 

"No idea. She doesn't talk about him at all, and that's understandable, she suffered a great loss at such a young age." 

"How old is she?" Keith asked

"20," 

"She's two years younger than me...." Keith let out a breath. "So she had Lance at 16?" 

Keith and Coran began to clean up, as C.J. was the only child left waiting for his father to get off duty and he was glued to Allura's side. 

"I would assume, that or she adopted him, but I am not keen into the details. For all I know is that one of his Uncles is his actual father because of the trauma. I can not imagine losing a potential life partner at that age." 

"Wait, you think Hunk is really Lance's father?" 

"I don't know, speculation can be nasty."

"So what about--" 

"Keith, I know no more than you at this point. If you have any more questions why not ask Shiro or Hunk, or even ask Pidge herself. I only know what other parents have said and sometimes other parent's can be cruel when younger parents have a better life than they do. There are things that I know that should never be known, not just about Pidge but about other families. There are things said in spite, relationships that fall apart and children that get hurt. If you want to know the information that you desire, I would suggest asking the source or the two sub-sources. Otherwise, there could be a miscommunication and it could turn out terrible." 

"Is Lance coming back tomorrow?" 

"No, I think tomorrow is Hunk's day off. I think they are going to spend some time together. That or Lance will be here because Hunk knows about as well as any one in that family what 'day off' means." Coran let out a sigh, "Go home, get some rest. Sleep in your own bed. Relax. We open at 8 a.m."

"I'm fine helping, Coran." 

"Keith, I can clean. Now go," Coran shooed Keith away. 

Keith didn't have the heart to tell Coran that he just got into town and didn't have a home to go to.... he had a car. Keith solemnly got into this car and drove a little bit, to the park down the road and parked his car. He climbed into the back and rested his head. He was not tired. 

 

About three hours had passed of Keith just laying in the back seat of his car, doing nothing when he heard a knock at the window scaring him badly. He rolled the crank windows down a little and saw the face of Hunk. 

"Hi?" 

"Is your car broken?" Hunk asked, I can fix it if you need me too I used to own a car fixing place--" 

"No, I'm just trying to get some sleep," Keith said with a faint smile and a screaming from his hips

"Sleep in this thing?" Hunk winced at the Chevy Vega, "When we pulled in I wondered what poor soul still had this crappy thing." 

"It's a gift... and a curse... from the orphanage when they kicked me out. I'm tired, so night." 

"You want to spend the night at my house? It's in walking distance of the daycare and you can have the loft above the garage so you don't feel weird in a house with Shiro and me, though your welcome for breakfast." 

"I can sleep in the car again, I'm fine." 

"Again? Keith once is too much for this car. Either follow me to my home or watch me force you to have a good night sleep."

"What about the car?" 

"I'll tell Charles and Frank down at the station that you're at my place and I'll call Phillis and Bianca at the tow trucking place to ignore any calls about it." 

"Hunk you don't have to--" 

"I Want to, Keith." Hunk puffed out, "So you doing this willingly or not?" 

"Yeah, hold on, let me grab some things." KEith sighed, already knowing that Hunk's character would not allow him to stay in this car for the night.

Keith knew Hunk was doing this because he was a nice guy, but he didn't want to intrude. The last thing he wanted to do was to bother one of the only guys who has been nice to him in his whole life. But Keith went with it. He got into Hunk's bike--yes, this man was driving a [Triumph Bonneville Street Twin](http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/57ac8012ce38f234008b60f7-1200/best-standard-bike-triumph-bonneville-street-twin.jpg) with a yellow helmet and a silver one to spare which he handed Keith. 

Keith hopped on and Hunk drove to his beautiful house. He felt rich just being inside the house. Hunk made Keith's bed against his protests and set everything up in less than an hour. Hunk smiled and told him breakfast would be at 7 because that's when Shiro would be getting home and he'd want to eat before he went to bed until eight tonight. Plus Hunk confirmed he had the day off and would be spending it with Lance and Shay. Shiro also had the day off but he'd be spending the most of it sleeping or going to the police station to train some of the new recruits in hand to hand--Hunk conveniently mentioned the fact that they were both sufficient in defence and owned guns, as if to kindly tell Keith not to try anything.

"Thank you, Hunk." 

"I know it was sudden, Keith, and I hardly know you, but Lance likes you--that's an accomplishment all in of itself--so I kind of trust you, but I'm still on the edge." Hunk awkwardly chuckled "You can stay here as long as you like, and after a week or so we can talk about rent and stuff if you want to stay here." 

"Thank you... thank you so much." Keith wanted to cry and hug this man, but he decided against it. Hunk closed the door and Keith fell onto the bed, feeling like he was gifted an eternal hug and that his whole aching body was encompassed with love. He'd almost forgotten the beauty of a bed. He closed his eyes and was out. Completly and utterly, out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the super nice comments!! I'm so glad that you guys are liking this book!
> 
> I thought I could do every week, but it looks like with my new Schedule that I won't be able to do so. SOOOO random updates, I will try to get them out at a reasonable time, and a month should be the LONGEST time y'all have to wait. When School starts and work dies down I'll be able to be more on the ball with this book. 
> 
> I really hope you guys are liking it! If there is anything you'd like to see in the book (within reason) please message me on Tumblr (same username) or comment below! Thanks so much for reading!


End file.
